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Nathan Chen Stutters in Figure Skating Debut

Nathan Chen, the top U.S. medal hopeful in men's singles figure skating, had a disappointing debut during the men's short program. While Chen was able to land the quad flip, the first time the difficult trick was attempted at an Olympic event, he fell while attempting the triple axel. Chen finished in fourth place.

(Published Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018)

When the U.S. Olympic figure skating team hits the ice at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, don’t be surprised if you find yourself itching to watch “Moulin Rouge!”

That’s because, for the first time at an Olympics, skaters will be permitted to feature music with lyrics in their routines — and for U.S. skaters, the soundtrack from the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film is a hit.

Vincent Zhou, the youngest U.S. Olympian competing in Pyeongchang, will skate to a medley of “Nature Boy” and “Come What May” in his free skate — despite being less than a year old when the movie hit theaters. The pair of Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim uses “Come What May” in their short program this season.

However, don't expect an infusion of pop music from the U.S. team when the figure skating team event resumes at Gangneug Ice Arena Sunday morning with the women's and ice dance short programs. Bradie Tennell, who will skate the women's disicipline for Team USA, selected music from the Korean film Taegukgi for her short program, and the brother-sister pair of Maia and Alex Shibutani will skate to a medley of songs by Cuban bandleader Perez Prado in ice dance.

Husband and Wife Figure Skating Duo Stun in Olympic Debut

Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim, husband and wife duo, stunned the audience in their Olympic debut during the pairs figure skating short program. They pulled off a myriad of difficult tricks, including the triple twist. The pair placed fourth overall.

(Published Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018)

Other U.S. team members who have selected songs with lyrics include Nathan Chen, a medal contender in men's figure skating who stumbled in his portion of the team event on Friday. Chen skates to “Nemesis” by Benjamin Clementine in his short program, while Adam Rippon may have the most adventurous choice among the United States’ contingent. Rippon's 2017-18 short program selection, “Let Me Think About It” by Ida Carr and Fedde le Grande, features synthesizers and a thumping beat that wouldn’t be out of place at a gym; for his free skate, he uses “Arrival of the Birds” by The Cinematic Orchestra and Coldplay’s “O.”

Music with lyrics has been allowed in figure skating since the 2014-15 season — just after the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Lyrics were already permitted in ice dance.

Not every U.S. skater jumped at the chance to add pop music to their routines. While some of their music does include lyrics, Karen Chen, Mirai Nagasu and Tennell — the 2018 U.S. champion — decided to stick with more traditional skating selections this season, such as medleys from “Miss Saigon” and “Cinderella,” or Chopin’s “Nocturne in C Sharp Minor.”

Aside from the United States team, keep an eye out for the pair of Yevgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, competing for Olympic Athletes from Russia. In free skate, they have performed to a medley of Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman” and “Nasty Naughty Boy,” capped off with "Ready Teddy" by Elvis Presley.

Here is what the U.S. figure skaters will skate to at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics: